Merry Christmas!!!

"For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.”~ Luke 2:30-32

I hope you all have a VERY blessed Christmas!!! :)

Christmas Break: Ready... Set... GO!!!

The second term at KISC is officially over and I’m halfway done with my school year at KISC. It’s hard to believe how quickly time flies! It seems like just yesterday I was fresh off the plane. Now I’ve got a nice Christmas break to look forward to before I jump head-first into part 2 of my time here in Nepal.

KISC Excitement

The past few weeks at KISC have been action packed! We’ve had so many fun events and Christmas festivities. First was the annual KISC football tournament. We took half of a day and went down to the local football (aka: soccer) pitch, divided into teams, and had a blast cheering on the kids as they competed. This was especially fun for me because my team won (woot woot)!!

One team of players: Eunji, Steven, Seong-Hyeon, and Sebin. Eunji, Seong-Hyeon, and Sebin are three of my ESL students. 

Between games, Yedo and Seong-Hyeon discovered how to stick gummy worms to their faces :).

It’s been so much fun anticipating Christmas at school, too! There seemed to be different Christmas parties, songs, crafts, and activities happening every day. During this past week all of my ESL classes were Christmas themed as we played language games surrounding the Nativity story and shared about our families’ Christmas traditions. The term finished with all the primary students playing Christmas games together, singing Christmas songs, and watching “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (the classic version). 

A Nepali Nativity

The greatest KISC Christmas event, however, was the Christmas play. The entire school pulled together and put on one of the greatest Christmas productions I have ever seen. It was titled “A Nepali Nativity” and depicted what it might have been like if Christ were born in Nepal. The sets and costumes were all Nepali, Christ was born to Maya and Jiwan (Mary and Joseph) in a town called Besi Sahar, and we sang Nepali Christmas carols. The Year 4 students were adorable as they performed a Nepali folk dance and the Year K, 1, 2, and 3 students finished the program singing “Dhanyabad Yesu!” (Thank You, Jesus). The play was also a great mix of traditional and contemporary culture. The shepherds worshiped Jesus with some amazing hip-hop and break dancing moves and the Wise Men followed the star in true Bollywood fashion. It was an incredible way of showing how Christ came for ALL cultures and ALL people and is relevant for all times and generations. 

Some of the main characters of the Nepali Nativity.

The Year 4 students stealing the show with their Nepali folk dance.

Now that school had ended…

Now that the term is over, however, everyone is dispersing very quickly. I’ve had to say goodbye to many friends who are off to different parts of the world for Christmas break. These are the easy goodbyes. I am also saying goodbye to a few people who I will likely not being seeing again. The hardest one coming up will be my friend, Amanda, who will be going back home to Australia. 

Amanda - I'll be sad to see her go!

Because most of my house-mates will be away for the next few weeks I’m going to live with my friend Stephanie in her flat for the Christmas season, which should be a really great time. We’re planning on listening to a lot of Christmas music, watching Christmas movies, and doing plenty of Christmas baking :). Stephanie tells me that Christmas in Nepal is actually really nice and almost a breath of fresh air. Because there will be none of the consumerist push that is always so prevalent in an American Christmas, the focus is purely on the gift of Jesus Christ.

May God RICHLY bless you this Christmas and may the focus for ALL of us be on Christ – the greatest gift :).

The one with all the Thanksgivings

Happy Thanksgiving!!! I hope you all had a great holiday with lots of food, family, and reasons to be thankful. 

Thanksgiving in Nepal

You might think Thanksgiving in Nepal would be a sad reflection of the feasts and celebrations we’re used to in America. Although Thanksgiving isn’t celebrated here, it wound up being one of the most celebrated and eventful Thanksgivings I’ve ever had. There are quite a few Americans who were more than eager to celebrate and plenty of International friends who certainly weren’t opposed to joining us in celebrating a holiday that involves mass amounts of food… go figure…

School was still in session, so my day started off at KISC. The primary school has assemblies every Tuesday and Thursday, and that day was my turn to lead assembly where I tried to get the students thinking about all the blessings in their lives and their reasons to give thanks to God. Later in the school day, the Year 3 class had a pot-luck style party with food from all over the world. 

Year 3 pot-luck party

After school the cooking frenzy at my house began. Just imagine a house full of people, all cooking for the same Thanksgiving meal with one (and a half) ovens and the power going out mid-way through. Despite the obstacles, however, everything turned out great and we had an incredible meal and some awesome fellowship :). It was such a blessing to have such an international group and to share in some people’s first Thanksgiving. We celebrated with friends from America, England, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, Sweden, and Nepal. The festivities continued on till Saturday evening. Several people couldn’t be bothered to celebrate on a school night, so we had another full Thanksgiving meal over the weekend. 

Pumpkin pie SUCCESS!!! I made it all from scratch... even the whipped cream!

I’m so thankful for such a well-celebrated holiday, but I’m glad that it’s finally over. Now the Christmas season can officially begin! 

Anticipating Christ and Overcome with Thanks

This morning I read the following quote by John Piper and wanted to share it with you:

“Be reminded and stunned that you and I deserve nothing but wrath from God, and in Christ receive nothing but mercy from him.”

As we reflect on Thanksgiving and look forward to Christmas let’s remember the ultimate reason to be thankful: That God gives us mercy when we deserve wrath through the gift of Jesus. What an awesome thought.

One final picture. This is my "backyard" just before sunset... just another thing to be thankful for.

A little of this, a little of that

So I can end on a high note, I’d like to start this blog post with a little venting: Daylight Savings Time. As if I wasn’t already having a hard time keeping track of the time difference(s). Now it’s OVER a 12 hour difference for California, so my somewhat simple conversion there is long gone and who knows what it is for Pennsylvania now. PLUS, just for kicks and giggles, some states don’t even recognize daylight savings time (ehhemmm… Arizona…)! All this is bonus confusion that I already had because the time difference wasn’t an even hour. The difference for California is now 13 hours and 45 minutes… so do you add 15 minutes or subtract 15 minutes?? I may never get the hang of it…

On a more positive note...

Other than my frustrations with the conventions of space and time, life in Nepal has been very pleasant these past couple of weeks. My friends and I have begun a new health regime that includes cutting down on sweets and increasing exercise. Comparing my exercising here to what I did back in the US, it’s still not much… but it is nice to feel a little more fit and healthy :). 

I’ve also had a few encouraging moments in my teaching. I’ve been feeling fairly confident about my lessons with the Year 1 and Year 3 students and have really enjoyed teaching them. I’ve had a harder time with my Year 2 students, however, but God’s been giving me a few glimmers of hope and encouragement in this area, which I’m so thankful for. 

I have now officially completed the language learning requirements of KISC and am done with my Nepali lessons. This is definitely a bitter-sweet feeling for me and I definitely want to continue my language learning. At the moment, I’m going to see how self-study goes before I consider jumping back into formal lessons. A shopping trip to Thamel, however, is always great Nepali practice and I had a great time haggling with the shopkeepers this past weekend. After  a day of bargain-hunting I was even blessed with an opportunity to practice my Spanish as we sat down to a cup of coffee next to a group of Spanish tourists. I had a great time chatting with them and it was so fun to hear the Castilian dialect of Spanish that I became so accustomed to during my time in Spain a few years ago. I did, however, have a hard time keeping Nepali words from popping out during the conversation :). 

The fruits of my haggling. This is how I plan on beating winter: fleece-lined wool socks and yak-wool blankets. Bring it on, winter... bring it on...

Cold-weather cozies

Even though I do plan on fighting the cold weather (and winning), I have enjoyed all the coziness that comes with the cold. I’ve been loving my blankets and hot drinks and even had an afternoon listening to Christmas music after church today. Plus, my pumpkin has been a huge success! I’ve had several encore requests for my pumpkin scones and enjoyed a few bowls of pumpkin soup. I’m definitely looking forward to Christmas time and especially looking forward to having a visitor from America for New Years :).

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Thanks so much for all of your prayers and encouragement! Check out updated prayer requests and praises in the box to the right -->

*** KISC will be facing some major gaps in staffing for the secondary school for Term 3. Our CEO is currently recruiting in America. Please pray that this trip is fruitful and that God will provide the teachers we need for next term. ***

Fall in Nepal

Hello again from Kathmandu!

It’s been an encouraging and restful couple weeks since I last posted and I’m excited to tell you what I’ve been up to lately. Well, I actually haven’t been up to all that much… but I’m excited about it nonetheless. 

Teaching Update

School is back in full swing! I’ve had half a week of planning and in-class work with my students and one full week of full teaching which includes both push-in (or time where I work with my students in their regular classes) and pull-out sessions (where I teach my own lessons outside of the regular classroom). The first week seemed to go off to a rocky start, merely because I felt like I was having a hard time focusing and organizing my thoughts and plans. In addition, I caught a bug and wasn’t feeling well for a few days. 

After getting into the swing of things, however, I’m feeling really positive about this term! After reflecting on the good and the not-so-good of last term I set several goals and made an action plan on how I could improve my teaching. After one week of full teaching I’m already seeing a difference and feeling more confident about my lessons. At the end of last week the CEO of KISC observed my teaching. Yes, I was terrified, but she seemed to like what she saw and gave me a very positive review! It was so encouraging to get this positive feedback and I’m excited to become an even better teacher as the year continues. 

Here is one verse that I’ve been meditating on lately:  

"Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” ~ 1 Corinthians 15:58

Also, see 1 Corinthians 10:31.

Happy Harvest!

Fall in Kathmandu is definitely NOT as exciting as fall in Pennsylvania with the beautiful colors and falling leaves, but it does have it’s perks. First, monsoon season is finally over! The city has dried out and I’m no longer permanently attached to my umbrella and constantly washing the mud off of my feet and legs. The temperatures are cooling down too, which feels refreshing at the moment… I know I’ll be cursing the cold in due time, but I’m thankful that I can enjoy it for a little while. 

Fall is made even more enjoyable by all the friends that I have who love to find reasons to celebrate. Last night we had a big Halloween/Harvest party with obscene amounts of candy and baked good, games, and a movie. For my contribution, I brought roasted pumpkin seeds and now have massive amounts of pumpkin which I plan on turning into pumpkin bread, pumpkin scones, pumpkin soup, pumpkin cupcakes, etc. If you have a favorite pumpkin recipe please share! I’d love to give it a try and have PLENTY of pumpkin to experiment with :). 

Finally, I recently realized that the large tree (or maybe bush? I’m not sure) right outside of my window is a poinsettia plant! It becomes more and more beautiful every time I look at it with its striking red flowers. What a blessing!

My beautiful poinsettia plant!

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Note: Please check out the updated prayer requests in the box to the right -->. There have been several members of the KISC community (parents, family members, and other foreign workers) who have been struggling with health concerns lately, some being quite serious. Please especially lift them and their families up in prayer.

Back From the Top of the World

Hello everyone! Yesterday I came back safe and sound from my trek to Everest Base Camp. Thanks so much to everyone who was praying for us! We had an INCREDIBLE time. Here are some of the highlights:

• Obviously, the BEAUTIFUL views! God’s creation is so diverse! We trekked through lush, wooded paths, rocky mountain terrain, and even over a glacier! It was incredible to see Everest, but all the snow-capped mountains that surrounded us during the trek were absolutely breathtaking.

• The wildlife! We saw plenty of yaks carrying supplies up the mountain, but also many undomesticated animals like the musk deer, the Danfe (unsure about spelling on that one) – the national bird of Nepal, and even a snow leopard!

• The people: Not to mention my wonderful friends that I trekked with, we met a lot of interesting people along the trail. We were also blessed by great porters and a great guide, Ngima – we had a great time hanging out with him along the way. 

I could go on and on about the trek, but I’ll just let the photos speak for themselves. Here are a few, but check out my Facebook album to see more: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.579338559412.2066491.69102077&type=1&l=15553b0b02

There were little villages all along the way. Here is a great view of a village called Pengboche.

We saw yaks all along the trek carrying supplies or gear up the mountain.

Everest Base Camp! From left to right: Sarah F.; Sara S.; our guide, Ngima; one of our porters, Artie; Sarah K., me, and Daniel S.

 

The view from Kala Patthar at about 18,500 feet.

There it is! Mount Everest: tallest mountain in the world!

Last Post for a Few Weeks

See you mid-October!

This will be my last post for a few weeks. As I mentioned before, I will be trekking with a group of KISC teachers to Everest Base Camp! I’m so excited and so thankful for this opportunity. A year ago I never would have though that I’d have the chance to go to Mount Everest. I’d really appreciate your prayers while I’m gone. Although we’re very well prepared, there are obviously still risks. Please pray for safe flights to and from Lukla (our starting and finishing point), and for good health. We’ll be taking the trek slowly to acclimatize, but altitude sickness is still a concern. Finally, that we would simply have a great time, good fellowship together, and be positive witnesses of Christ along the way.

Trek dates: October 1^st – October 16^th. (Return date tentative).

Kathmandu ½ Marathon

I successfully completed the ½ marathon last weekend! This race was so different from any that I’ve ever run before. Traffic was not blocked off, so dodging busses, taxis, and motorbikes throughout the 13.6 miles (yes, that’s an extra ½ mile) was an added challenge. The total absence of porta-potties never turned out to be a tragedy for me, but it would be nice to know they’re there if you need them.

Entering a race with a group of people was also a new experience for me, but it was such a blessing to have the camaraderie. We also had a group of friends cheering us on along the route, which turned out to be a huge encouragement. 

All of the 1/2 Marathoners at the finish line. We also had a group who ran the 5K!

Saying goodbye :(

At schools like KISC it’s common to have teachers coming and going throughout the school year. Sadly, at the end of this term I’ll be saying goodbye to one of my good friends. Sarah C. has been a huge source of joy in my life for the past three months and she’ll be heading back home to Scotland on Saturday. She’s taught me all about Scottish-English, tartans, kilts, and the Loch Ness Monster. With all that and people like Sarah, Scotland must be a pretty awesome place. 

My Scottish friend, Sarah, is the one in the middle.

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“May your roots go down deep into the soil of God’s marvelous love. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, low long, how high, and how deep his love really is.” – Ephesians 3:17-18

God’s Love… Awesome and Undeniable

In a recent email conversation, the topic of God’s love for us and the experience of that love was highlighted and whether we “feel” that love at the moment or not, the bottom line is that Christ died for us, and you simply can’t argue with such an obvious act of love. 

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” – Romans 6:23

After this conversation and reflecting on this verse, I’ve been trying to be more intentional about viewing each and every person as someone for whom Christ died. It’s amazing how much this exercise will change the way you see the people around you.

Recent Events

Swim season is officially over, much to my dismay. I’ve loved getting to know the swimmers and being able to help out with the team. It’s truly been one of the highlights of my time in Nepal so far. At our last swim meet many of the swimmers qualified for finals, the majority of whom finally won medals. The season was capped off with a school assembly to recognize their achievements and a team party. Thankfully, I do have more swimming to look forward to. The season will pick up again in Term 4 when it’s warm enough to swim again.

Today I went to Swayambhunath – aka: The Monkey Temple. It’s an ancient Buddhist complex. It was interesting to see the stupas, temples, and shrines, and to hear about the meaning behind them from a very friendly and eager Nepali shopkeeper. We also got to see baby monkeys and an incredible view of the Kathmandu valley. Plus, as a bonus, I got to practice quite a bit of Nepali with our taxi drivers :). 

Stupa, temple, and relics at Swayambhunath.

Here I am! The view of the Kathmandu valley from Swayambhunath was beautiful!

Upcoming Events

God has given me so many great opportunities that are coming up very soon! Here’s what I’ll be up to in the upcoming weeks:

Next Saturday is the Kathmandu ½ Marathon! I’ve officially registered and have a small group of friends who will be running as well. Although I haven’t properly trained, I really enjoy racing and I’m sure this will be unlike any other race I’ve ever run. I’m looking forward to the experience of the race and simply feeling the joy that I find in running.

In two weeks I’ll be heading off on a two-week trek to Everest Base Camp! Term 1 at school is ending and we have a long October break and plan on fully taking advantage of this time off. We’ve been discussing the potential of a trip to Mount Everest for awhile, but now it’s official! God’s provision has been so obvious in every aspect of planning from getting plane tickets to providing the gear that we will need. It’s still hard to believe that I’ll actually be going to Mount Everest. Never in my wildest dreams would I ever have thought that I would have this opportunity. Simply seeing the Himalayas from afar through the clouds is a breathtaking experience – I can hardly imagine how awesome it will be to actually be IN the mountains, at the foot of the highest mountain in the world, experiencing God’s power and beauty in such a concrete way.  

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I'll be uploading new photos to my Facebook account, so be sure to check them out! Also, check out my updated prayer requests and praises in the section to the left -->

A New Place, a Royal Palace, and a Huge Blessing

Hi everyone!

It’s been a couple weeks since I’ve posted, so here’s a small update on what has been going on over here in Nepal. 

I Moved!

I’m now living in a different guest house! A room just opened up in the official KISC guest house, so this weekend I packed up all my things and moved just around the corner. I’m really excited about my new place. There are a lot more KISC teachers who live here, so it’s a much greater sense of community. It’s a much brighter and more cheerful building and I have a beautiful view out of my bedroom window. Once I’m all unpacked I’ll be sure to take some pictures so you can see it! There are several things I’ll miss about my old guest house, especially Kashmira, the Nepali girl that lives there who I could always practice my language with... but overall this move is a HUGE reason for joy. 

The night before I left, Sarita, the owner of my old guest house taught a group of us to make daal bhat - the typical Nepali meal. Many Nepalis eat it twice a day! It's basically rice and lentils with a side of veggies and pickled tomato. Yummy!

 

Visiting the Royal Palace

Last weekend some friends and I went to the Royal Palace. I still don’t know that much about the history of Nepal, but seeing the palace was a great visual way to get a better grasp on things. The government is really still getting settled at the moment. There is no king in Nepal, but this was a fairly recent development, so it is as if it’s history isn’t something from long ago but rather something that is still being worked out even today. There was also a tragic massacre of the royal family in 2001 and seeing the site of this event was really eye-opening. 

The Royal Palace Museum in Kathmandu

OBEDIENCE

This is THE WORD to sum up the group that I’ve been meeting with for the past couple of weeks. The simplest way of labeling it would be with the title “Bible Study,” but the focus is more on obeying the Word of God rather than gathering knowledge about it. This group has been such a blessing to me the past couple weeks and has really been stretching me, challenging me, and growing me. It is so common for us to know what Christ commands, but if you think about it, how many of us actually OBEY these commands. My lack of true obedience has really been made clear to me and I’m excited to see how God is going to use this group not only in my life, but in NEPAL as a whole. That was the summary of this group in a very tiny nutshell. Perhaps I’ll develop this more in a future post. 

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Check out my updated prayer requests and praises over to the right -->
Also, if there is any way I can pray for you don't hesitate to let me know! Or if you simply want to say hello... that's always nice too :)

Finally, I recently posted new photos in my Facebook album. Whether you have Facebook or not you can view my photos by clicking on this link: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.572126078282.2064217.69102077&l=48b560a067&type=1

I'm a real teacher now!

Teaching News

I’ve officially survived my first week of being a real, full-time teacher! There were some ups and downs, but I’m sure that I’ll only learn and improve as the year progresses. I’ll start with the “ups”….

Reflecting on the week, I had some lessons that I’m really excited about! Plus, even with the lessons that I’m not quite so excited about I’ve had the chance to reflect and see how I could improve next time. I’m starting to get to know my students a little better: their linguistic struggles and needs and their little personalities :). Also, my coworkers are all very encouraging! After frustrations with bonked lessons and conflicting timetables, my friends here are always reassuring me that yes, it does indeed happen to everyone. Finally, even in just the past couple weeks we’ve had quite a few teacher training sessions. I’m learning so many new techniques that I’m really excited about!

Here I am teaching one group of third graders.

Now, because I really want to strive for honesty in this blog… here are the “downs.” First, I made a kid cry. Well, technically it wasn’t me that triggered it, but it was in my class and I still felt bad. Something I’m learning about kids is that they cry A LOT… about ANYTHING. Also, I’m discovering that I’m not very good at classroom management. I’m having a hard time keeping my kids controlled AND still finding time to teach them things. So this goes out to all you elementary school teachers out there: Hats off to you! I have a new-found respect for what you do.

Mero saathiharu ekdaam raamro chhan. (My friends are really great). 

In other news, I got to use quite a bit of Nepali yesterday – in real-life situations – for actual information exchange! Even though really all I did was ask if the shop owner still had milk available and asked for the price, I was still really excited :). 

Also, as my Nepali heading indicates – I’m continuing to be so blessed by the people that I’m meeting here. This includes not only my close friends, but also the other people that God is bringing into my path. I love meeting other foreign workers here and hearing about what they are doing here in Nepal. I’ve been so encouraged by conversations with them and am learning so much about how God is moving here. 

On a sadder note, today we had to say goodbye to two friends who were in Nepal for only three weeks. Joy and Louise came from Scotland to help out at KISC. They were great assets to the school and great friends to me. I’m so sad to see them go!

Joy and Louise. These ladies were my neighbors in my guest house. I'll really miss them!

  

Sporty News

I’m still really enjoying helping out at swim practices. The other day I got to help some swimmers out with their flip turns. This is one area where I know that I know what I’m talking about – which is encouraging. Plus I just love swimming :). 

I’m still running every Saturday with the triathalon club and that continues to be a huge blessing for me. Before coming abroad I told God that I would follow Him anywhere He wanted to put me… but I would really appreciate it if He would still allow me to run. It’s amazing the way He answers prayer!

Speaking of prayer… check out my updates praises and prayer requests! -->

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And So It Begins...

My classes start TOMORROW!!! School has actually been in session for about a week now, but the Primary ESL program doesn’t begin until the second week of school. Although I haven’t been teaching any classes, I have been so busy ever since school started. My days have been filled with staff meetings,class observations, Nepali language learning, and planning for the upcoming term.

KISC - The main school building.

At this point I’ve already gotten to meet most of my kids (1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd graders). They are SO CUTE! But slightly terrifying at the same time. Sometimes I feel like the least qualified person ever to be teaching kids, but God led me to this school and this position and He knows what He’s doing… even when I feel like I don’t. I can already see His provision, supplying me with the coworkers, the support, and the resources to make me feel like I’m not as incompetent as I sometimes think and to reassure me that I’m definitely not alone. All in all, I’m ready and excited to jump in and get started!

I do feel so blessed to be a part of the ministry that KISC has here in Nepal. The school is so dedicated to being witnesses for Christ in offering quality education to the international community here. This school enables so many foreign workers to continue their ministries here in Kathmandu and to rest assured knowing that their kids are getting a good education while they follow God’s call.

Other Reasons for Joy

So other than school, God has blessed me in so many other ways that I’d like to share with you! First, He has given me the opportunity to help coach the KISC swim team! As most of you know, swimming is something that I have truly loved for most of my life and I just feel overwhelmed by God’s love for me in blessing me this way. The team practices four days a week and may initiate Friday morning runs as well. It's a small team, but a great group of kids. I can't wait to get to know them better and hopefully help them love the sport as much as I do :).

God obviously knows my love for athletics, because another way He has blessed me is through the Kathmandu Triathalon Club. This is a small, informal group led by a KISC parent who simply loves to get out there and exercise. The past few Saturday mornings I’ve been able to get in some really great runs. Yesterday we had a great group and did about seven miles in the hills outside the city. Not only are the exercise and the fellowship good for my heart and soul, but simply getting outside the city has been truly refreshing. Plus, the views from these quieter roads are just beautiful.

About a mile into our regular running route. This is just before the first of many uphill climbs.

Finally, I have really enjoyed being in a community where so many different “Englishes” are spoken! My friends and coworkers are from all over the world so I’ve truly enjoyed hearing Irish, British, Scottish, and Australian accents and navigating all the different vocabulary that we all use. My Scottish friend, Sarah, laughs every time we talk about pants because in Scotland, “pants” refers to underwear and apparently the proper way of saying it is “trousers.” The diversity of languages that God created is simply incredible, and the diversity that exists within the same language is just a greater testament to His creativity and His glory.

One final note: Psalm 86 has truly blessed me lately…  check it out! I hope it blesses you too :).

Also, Check out my updated prayer requests and praises in the section to the right! :)

Your prayers mean more to me than you know.

Two weeks and much to tell

Hello again! I'm almost at my two-week point of living in Nepal! There is so much I want to tell you about, but I'm just going to focus on three things: my general adjustment process, KISC school, and what I've seen of the city of Kathmandu. 

Adjusting

I’ve been in Nepal for about two weeks now, and it’s definitely been a whirlwind experience. I’m working hard at adjusting to my new surroundings, getting familiar with the school that I’ll be teaching at, and soaking in all things Kathmandu. But every day God gives me more and more reasons to be joyful.

Nepali language training has been one of my favorite parts about the past two weeks. I’m still extremely limited in my Nepali, but I’m really enjoying the learning process. Right now… mero Nepali ekdam raamro chhaina. Tara malaai Nepali dherai manparchha. That means my Nepali isn’t very good, but I like it a lot. :)

It’s rained most days since I’ve arrived, so I’m really looking forward to the end of monsoon season. I’m also starting to get a handle on my immediate area and don’t feel quite so lost everywhere I go. I’ve also had quite a bit of Nepali food. Daalbhaat is their main dish: rice and lentils. It’s so simple, but so delicious!

But probably the biggest blessing for me has been my new friends. There are several other new teachers who I’ve spent a lot of time with and have really helped me to feel at home.

 

 

 

 

 

Some of my new friends - other KISC teachers, and our language tutor: Parameswari (on left).

KISC - Kathmandu International Study Centre

The first school term at KISC starts on August 9^th, but the ESL program doesn’t start until the following week. I’ll be teaching ESL to grades 1, 2, and 3. I’ll have small groups of students in both separate class sessions and also in-class sessions where I work alongside the regular classroom teacher.

I’m a little nervous about teaching, but all in all I’m so excited for classes to start and I’m excited about the role that I get to play in these kids’ schooling. Many of my ESL kids will probably feel overwhelmed in their regular classes, trying to understand a fast-paced environment in a second language. I hope that my class will be a safe place for them to take their time, practice and improve their language, and have some fun. :)

Getting to know Kathmandu

Yesterday our language teacher, Parameswari, took us all on a tour of Kathmandu. There were three main areas that we visited. The first was Kathmandu Durbar Square, a huge plaza filled with old palaces and Hindu temples. The second stop was a brief walkthrough of Thamel, the touristy district of Kathmandu, and then it was on to our third stop: The Boudhanath Stupa which is the largest Buddhist stupa in Nepal and one of the holiest sites of Tibetan Buddhism. 

A Hindu temple in Kathmandu Durbar Square.

It was really eye-opening to see these places and I couldn’t help but feel sad the entire time. So many people are wandering around in the darkness, looking for something to worship. It’s heartbreaking to see people worshiping so many false gods and trying so hard to appease them when the True God is right there, with forgiveness and unconditional love. 
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I'll post again soon to let you know how the beginning of the school year turns out! If you want to see more pictures I've posted them on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/fairchildwl1/
I'll also be posting pictures to Facebook shortly. 
Check out my updated praises and prayer requests to the right! -->   
Thanks for your prayers!

Hello from Nepal!!!

Kathmandu - The view from the roof of my house.

I'm here!!!

I survived the 36 hour trip and am now slowly but surely adjusting to life here in Kathmandu: the city with no street names, seemingly no traffic laws, and me… trying my best to adjust. I’m not going to lie: during my ride home from the airport and very first day my prevailing thought was “What did I get myself into??” The sights, sounds, and smells are so different from any experience in the US that it was a little overwhelming (and the jet lag certainly didn’t help either). 

I’m happy to share that my prevailing thought has changed from “What did I get myself into?” to “Okay, I can do this.” Well, it’s more like “Okay, God can do this.” He’s shown me so many times over the past two days that He’s with me every second and will give me more than I need not only to survive, but to thrive in this new place. 

Here are some of the ways I’ve been blessed:

1. Meeting some of the other new teachers at KISC – I really feel like I’ll have friends and a community here… bonus fun-fact: They love card games and Settlers of Catan!
2. Visiting KISC and starting orientation and language training – I don’t know how quickly I’ll pick up Nepali, but I think languages are fascinating J.
3. Meeting the KISC swim coach – I wasn’t even looking for her! She’d LOVE to have me help out! If my schedule allows, I’m totally there!
4. Meeting the founder of the Kathmandu Triathalon Club – He just so happens to be married to the swim coach. They do 5-6 mile runs every Saturday morning!
5. All of YOUR prayers and encouragements – They seriously mean the world to me. I know I haven’t responded to all your emails/messages yet, but they’ve really played a huge role in my coping and adjustment… so THANK YOU!!!

There is so much more that I could write, but I’ll have to save it for another day. If you have any questions/comments feel free to do so here or to email me! 

Check out my updated prayers and praises, on the right side of this page. 

Also, for more photos, check out my new Flickr account! Click here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/fairchildwl1/

(I’ve posted more photos on Flickr to accommodate you non-Facebookers).

Off I Go!

WELCOME TO MY BLOG!
I'm really glad you're reading this! This is my first shot at Blogging, so please bear with me as I figure this whole thing out. This will be my main way of communicating with you while I'm in Nepal. The main post section will give you more detailed updates and I'll post updated summaries of prayer requests and praises in the boxes to the right. I'll send you an email informing you of new posts so you'll know exactly when to check!
If you want a little more background info about me and what I'm doing, click on the "About Me" tab. My email addresses are listed in the "Contact Me!" section so you can get in touch with me. Also, feel free to comment on any of my posts.

If you're confused or frustrated by this blog in any way, PLEASE let me know! I want this to be a really convenient and fun way of keeping in contact. 

NOW THAT THAT'S OUT OF THE WAY...
Here is the BIG UPDATE: I leave for Kathmandu THIS FRIDAY (That's July 15th)!! 

It's incredible how God's been sovereign over all of my crazy preparations and even though there is still A LOT to do (aka: packing! ahhh!!!), I'm confident that everything will fall into place... but prayers are definitely appreciated!

The past few weeks have been a huge blessing for me. I had an incredibly fun road-trip from Los Angeles, CA to Corry, PA, mini-trips to Pittsburgh, Grove City, Niagara Falls, and Buffalo, and some awesome times connecting with a lot of family and great friends. It's also been really refreshing to be back at my home church where everyone has been so encouraging and excited about what God has in store. The past few weeks have definitely been the perfect way to kick-off my new adventure :).

Thank YOU for all of your support and encouragement! I wouldn't be able to do this without all of you! The next time I post I'll be in Kathmandu! See you then!